The Military Reenactment Society is a New Zealand based living history and historical reenactment group that reenacts World War II units. It is New Zealand's largest living history group with members based throughout New Zealand with some overseas, some members are also part of Second Battle Group a UK-based historical reenactment organization. They are a non-political group with the aim of increasing public awareness of the fighting prowess and camaraderie of the Second World War.
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Background
The Military Reenactment Society was established in 2002 as part of the New Zealand wing of the Commemorative Air Force. In 2007 they separated from the Commemorative Air Force and became a stand-alone organization. The Military Reenactment Society performs public displays and battles at events such as the Museum of Transport and Technology Military Open Day, Warbirds over Wanaka and the Classic Fighters air show. At these shows they display camps and equipment scenarios and perform scripted battles using blank ammunition and occasionally pyrotechnics in a manner as close as realistically possible to the conditions prevailing at the time.
The MRS are also used as reference for modeling and gaming companies, they have also been used in TV adds for Sky Network Television, movie rolls as extras and military advisers. The club took part in the New Zealand premiere of the Valkyrie movie and The Pacific (TV miniseries)
Units
The Military Reenactment Society started with two units one Axis and one Allied. Not all the MRS units display at every event. They now have 7 units that reenact different World War II units and 1 New Zealand Vietnam unit they include.